Full opening wafer valve

ABSTRACT

A full opening valve of the swinging disk type having a valve housing or casing formed with an internal recess into which the disk is movable when the valve is opened to provide full opening of the flowway, the valve housing having internal means providing a guiding surface for balls, pipeline pigs, or the like, to eliminate internal projections in the flowway and to allow such objects to pass freely through the valve without becoming stuck in the valve. The valve is constructed with support means for the disk which takes the form of a ring or wafer, and the valve housing is formed in two parts adapted to be releasably secured together and between which the wafer is removably disposed, the disk being pivotally mounted on the wafer for removal therewith. Means is also provided for operating the valve manually from the exterior of the housing.

United States Patent Wheatley, Jr. 14 |March 13, 1973 FULL OPENING WAFERVALVE [76] Inventor: Thomas Wheatley, Jr., 37l7 pmfmry Exam" ter Hemy PPinemom Houston 77018 Assistant Exammer-Robert J. Miller Attrney-CharlesE. Lightfoot [22] Filed: March 8, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 121,877 [57]ABSTRACT A full opening valve of the swinging disk type having a RelatedApphcamm Data valve housing or casing formed with an internal recess[63] Continuation-impart of Scr. No. 23,818, March 30, into which thedisk is movable when the valve is 1970,abandoned. opened to provide fullopening of the flowway, the

valve housing having internal means providing a guid- [52] U.S. Cl...137/268, 137/527.8 ing surface for balls, pipeline pigs, or the like,to [i] Int. Cl ..Fl6k /03 eliminate internal projections in the flowwayand to [58] Field of Sear /268, 544, 527, 527.8, allow such objects topass freely through the valve 454.2; l5/104.06 A; l/298 without becomingstuck in the valve. The valve is constructed with support means for thedisk which takes [56] References Cited the form of a ring or wafer, andthe valve housing is formed in two parts adapted to be releasablysecured UNITED STATES PATENTS together and between which the wafer isremovably 2,882,923 4/1959 Smolensky ..137/s27.sx disposed. the diskbeingpivomlly mounted on the 3,166,094 1 /l965 Eagleton ..137 544 af r fr removal therewith. Means is also provided 3,191,619 6/l965 Allen..l37/527 X for operating the valve manually from the exterior of3,275,028 9/1966 Reppert et al. ..l37/527.8 X the housing, 3,565,l072/1971 Bunch ..l37/S27.8 X

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 28 l 1 F 1 t l 3 3 ---j PATENTEDHAMIQB 3,70,225

SHEET 1 or 2 Thorhas When tIey,Jr.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY PATENTEDMAR131973 3.720.225

SHEET 2 UF 2 Thomas Wheatley J,-

INVENTOR ATTORNEY FULL OPENING WAFER VALVE RELATED APPLICATIONS Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 23,818,filed Mar. 30, 1970, now abandoned, by the same inventor, and bearingthe same title.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In the operation of pipelines, it has becomecustomary to introduce into such lines balls or pigs which are closelyfitted to the pipe for sealing engagement therewith to allow suchobjects to be passed through the line by a pressure gradient therein.Due to the manner in which pipelines are usually constructed, suchpipeline devices frequently become stuck in the line at locations wherethere is a constriction or inter nal projection, or in valves which donot provide for full opening of the flowway.

Sticking of pipeline pigs, balls, or the like, in pipelines isparticularly likely to occur where valves of the swinging disk areemployed, such valves being usually constructed for partial openingonly, so that the balls or pigs must be forced through a portion of theflowway which is of reduced size, resulting in obstruction of the lineor damage to the pigs or balls.

The provision of a flowway portion of increased size to allow fullopening of the disk in valves of this kind presents the disadvantagethat by-passing of fluid in the flowway at such a location may takeplace, causing the pig or ball to become lodged in the line, or that thepig or ball may become caught on some internal projection formed by suchan enlarged portion of the flowway.

Valves of the swinging disk type, adapted for use as check valves, arenot ordinarily provided with means operable manually from the exteriorof the housing for opening and closing the valve, but are usuallyadapted only for automatic operation by the flow of fluid in the flowwayto open the valve upon the flow of fluid in one direction and to closethe same upon the flow of fluid in the other direction. Moreover, suchvalves are not commonly constructed to permit the removal of the valvedisk and its support from the housing without also removing the housingfrom the flow line for the purpose of replacement of the valve and valveseat, should such replacement be necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I Briefly described, the valve of the inventioncomprises a hollow valve body or casing in which a valve member of thedisk type is hingedly supported for swinging movement into and out of aposition to close the flowway, the body being formed with an internal offluid past the same during such passage of the pig through the valve.

The valve disk is pivotally supported on an annular wafer or ring forvertical swinging movement into and out of closing engagement with anannular valve seat formed on the wafer, and the valve housing is formedin two parts adapted to be releasably secured together with the waferpositioned between adjacent end faces of the two parts of the housing,to permit the parts to be disconnected to allow the wafer and the disktherewith to be removed from the assembly without removing the parts ofthe housing from the flow line.

The parts of the housing may conveniently be of well known construction,such as standard pipe fittings formed with external end flanges havingplanar end faces. The wafer or ring is provided with planar end facesfor sealing engagement with the adjacent end faces of the flanges of thehousing parts when the wafer hinge pin which is removable from theexterior of the recess into which the valve may move upon openinghousing to enable the disk to be disconnected from the wafer to allowthe wafer to be removed in the event that the valve disk should becomestuck in an open or partly open position, or because of other damage tothe structure making such disconnection necessary. Means may also beprovided on the hinge pin, which may be keyed or otherwise connected tothe disk for rotation in response to swinging movement of the disk,whereby the valve may be operated from the exterior of the housing ifdesired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical,central, longitudinal, cross sectional view of a preferred embodiment ofthe valve of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of FIG. 1,looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of FIG. 1,looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical, cross sectional view, taken at thelocation of the hinge pin, illustrating a modified form of theinvention; and,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, on a somewhat enlargedscale, taken along the line 5 5 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION alongthe line by a pressure gradient therein. Such devices are often used inpipelines for the purpose of cleaning the line, or at times to separatefluids of different character which are to be pumped through the line.

In the event that there are valves, such as hinged disk valves, in sucha pipeline which do not open fully, such valves present a restriction inthe line through which the pig or ball must pass, which may result indamage or destruction of the pig or ball, or which may cause the same tobecome stuck in the line. It is for the purpose of providing a diskvalve in which the valve disk may move to position entirely out of theflowway to open the flowway fully to allow the free passage therethroughof the pig or ball, thus maintaining the flowway substantially closedagainst the flow of fluid past the same, that the present invention isdesigned.

The valve of the invention comprises a hollow valve body or casing,including two parts, and 12 adapted to be connected into a pipeline, asby means of welding or otherwise, and each having an external annularflange 14 provided with peripherally spaced openings through which bolts16 may be extended to connect the parts together with an annular valvesupporting member 18 positioned between the flanges.

The parts 10 and 12 eachhave an internal diameter of their outer endswhich is the same as the internal diameter of the pipeline into whichthe valve is connected, and the part 10 is of the same internal diameterthroughout its length, while the part 12 has an internal enlargement 20whose diameter is substantially larger than the diameter of the flowwayat the inner end of the part 12, and which has a tapering portionextending downstream from the inner end thereof to merge with the line.

The parts 10 and 12 may conveniently be standard pipe fittings of a kingcommonly used in pipeline construction, whereby the valve housing may beeasily and economically produced without special parts or costlymachining operations.

The annular valve supporting member or ring 18 may take the form of anannular wafer with flat faces positioned for engagement with the outerfaces of the flanges 14 when the valve is assembled, and suitable sealforming means of a well known type may be positioned between the memberand flanges to form a fluid tight seal therebetween. The ring 18 isformed with an annular recess 22 in its downstream side, whose bottomwall is formed with a bevelled face 24 forming an annular valve seat.

The valve includes a valve disk 26 which is shaped to extend into therecess 22 of the ring 18, and which is formed on its upstream side withan annular, bevelled seating face 28 which seats on the seat 24 of thering when the valve is closed. Suitable seal forming means of a usualtype, such as that shown at 30, may be carried by the disk 26 in agroove provided for the same in the seating face 28 for sealingengagement with the seat 24 when the valve is closed.

The disk 26 is also formed with a perforated hinge lug 32 which extendsinto an extension 34 of the recess 22 of the ring 18 and through which apivot pin 36 is extended by which the disk is hingedly supported on thering for swinging movement into and out of a position to close the valveseat. The pin 36 may be extended at its opposite ends into openings 37in the ring which may extend through the ring through the externalperipheral face thereof, so that the pin may be readily driven out ofthe ring to release the disk therefrom.

It will be readily apparent that the valve disk may move intotheenlargement 20 when the valve moves to fully open position with thedisk positioned entirely out of the flowway to fully open the flowway.

When the valve is closed, the downstream face of the disk 26 as well asthe hinge lug 32 lie entirely within the downstream face of the ring 18.

The valve body or casing is provided with an internal curved guide place40 which extends downstream from the ring 18 and whose sides taperlongitudinally inwardly and converge downstream to merge with theflowway at the outer end portion of the part 12 to close a portion ofthe recess 20, and to provide an internal curved surface 42 which mergesalong the sides of the plate with the surrounding internal surface ofthe part 12. This guide plate forms with the internal surface of thepart 12 a portion of the flowway through which an object, such as a ballor pipeline pig, may pass, and which is shaped for engagement therewithto close the flowway against the flow of fluid past the ball or pigduring such passage.

The plate 40 may be attached to the part 12 by welding along the side ofthe plate and may be connected to the part at its inner edge by alaterally extending plate 44, as shown in FIG. 1. a

By thus closing a portion of the enlargement 20 of the part 12, theportion of the flowway which extends through the part 12 may be formedof a size and shape to be sealingly engaged with a resilient ball orpipeline pig as the same moves through the valve to maintain the flowwayclosed by the pig or ball during such passage and to eliminate internalprojections or restrictions in the flowway likely to cause sticking ofthe pig or ball, or damaging the same.

It will also be seen that the upstream face of the disk when the valveis fully open forms a portion of the internal surface of the flowwayagainst which the pig or ball is engaged during the passage of the samethrough the valve.

The part 12 may, of course, be formed as a casting having an internal,integral portion formed with a curved surface which takes the place ofthe surface 42 of the plate 40.

For the purposes of maintenance and repair, the ring 18 with the disk 26attached thereto may be readily removed by taking out the bolts 16 toallow the ring to be bodily removed from between the flanges l4,whereupon the disk may be released from the ring, if desired, by drivingout the pin 36.

A somewhat modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and5, wherein the wafer 18' is formed with a hinge pin bore or opening 46which includes the extension portion 34 of the recess 22 of the ring andwhich has enlarged counterbore portions 48 and 50 at its opposite endswhich are internally threaded. The disk 26' has a perforated hinge lug32 formed with an internal flat face 52 extending from end to end of thebore 54 of the lug and which lug is disposed in the recess portion 34'with its bore 54 in longitudinal alignment with the hinge pin bore 46 ofthe wafer. A hinge pin or operating shaft 36' is extended into the bore46 and through the bore 54 of the lug 32' and is formed with a flatexternal face 56 in engage ment with the flat face 52 of the bore 54 tocause the disk to swing vertically in response to rotational movement ofthe pin.

The pin 36' extends at one end outwardly beyond the circumference of thewafer 18' and the valve housing and is provided at its outer extremitywith an end portion 58 shaped to fit a handle or wrench by which the pinmay be rotated from the exterior of the housing to open or close thevalve. The pin 36' may be rotatably extended through a bearing 60threadedly inserted in the counterbore 48, and the counterbore 50 may beclosed by a screw plug 62.

By this arrangement, the disk 26' may be rotated to open or closedposition by operation of the hinge pin or shaft 36 from the exterior ofthe housing, and in the event that it should be desired to disconnectthe disk from the wafer, either before or after the removal of the waferand disk from the valve assembly, the pin 36 may be driven out byremoving the bearing 60 and plug 62.

The bearing 60 may, of course, be provided with a suitable seal, such asthe O-ring 64 located in a groove provided for the same, surrounding thepin.

The pin or shaft 36' may be releasably secured to the lug 32' by othersuitable means, if desired, such as by the use of a key or the like.

It will thus be seen that the invention, constructed as hereindescribed, provides a valve of the removable, wafer supported, hingeddisk type in which the valve is movable to a position out of the flowwayto fully open the flowway when the valve is open, and wherein theinternal surface of the flowway through the valve is shaped forengagement with a pig or ball which is sealingly engagable with theflowway beyond the valve to close the flowway against the flow of fluidpast the pig or ball during passage of the same through the valve.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimedas new and desired to secure by positioned between said opposed endfaces, said support member having a central opening perpendicularlytherethrough and comprising a portion of the flow way through said bodyon being assembled therewith, and further including a valve seatsubstantially surrounding said opening, and further having apredetermined thickness between a pair of faces; means for clamping saidsupport member between said end faces in controlled sealing engagement;valve disc hingedly supported by said support member for swingingmovement into and out of closing relation to said valve seat, said dischaving a closing relation to said support member being fully within thefaces of said support member; a passage means in said support memberperpendicular to said central opening;

a hinge pm in said passage means;

connective means extending from said valve disc to said hinge pen tosupport said valve disc on swinging movement about said hinge pin; and,

an elongate operator arm adapted to be connected to said hinge pin atone end thereof and having a length sufficient to extend to a pointbeyond said support member sufficient to permit external manipulationthereof for the opening and closing of valve disc.

2. The valve of claim 1 including a recessed groove means in saidsupport member extending along a nonradial line thereof, and a shaftconnected to said disc and adapted to be received within said groovemeans for hingedly swinging said valve disc.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said operator arm is received in asecond passage means in said support member.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said second passage means isparallel to and terminates at one end of said first passage means andincluding a seal means therein preventing fluid communication along saidsecond passage means.

5. The structure of claim 41 further including a threaded releasablyengagable means for removing at least the portion of said arm extendingbeyond said support member.

6. The structure of claim 4 wherein said first passage means has theform of a recess across one face of said support member and furtherincluding means for releasably securing said hinge pin therein onassembly of said disc to said support member.

1. A valve of the hinged disc type, comprising: a hollow valve bodyformed of two separable parts, each adapted to be connected to the endsof two pipe sections to define a flow way therethrough; opposed endfaces on said two parts adapted to be positioned approximately parallelto one another; a generally planar support member adapted to bepositioned between said opposed end faces, said support member having acentral opening perpendicularly therethrough and comprising a portion ofthe flow way through said body on being assembled therewith, and furtherincluding a valve seat substantially surrounding said opening, andfurther having a predetermined thickness between a pair of faces; meansfor clamping said support member between said end faces in controlledsealing engagement; a valve disc hingedly supported by said supportmember for swinging movement into and out of closing relation to saidvalve seat, said disc having a closing relation to said support memberbeing fully within the faces of said support member; a passage means insaid support member perpendicular to said central opening; a hinge pinin said passage means; connective means extending from said valve discto said hinge pen to support said valve disc on swinging movement aboutsaid hinge pin; and, an elongate operator arm adapted to be connected tosaid hinge pin at one end thereof and having a length sufficient toextend to a point beyond said support member sufficient to permitexternal manipulation thereof for the opening and closing of valvedisc.
 1. A valve of the hinged disc type, comprising: a hollow valvebody formed of two separable parts, each adapted to be connected to theends of two pipe sections to define a flow way therethrough; opposed endfaces on said two parts adapted to be positioned approximately parallelto one another; a generally planar support member adapted to bepositioned between said opposed end faces, said support member having acentral opening perpendicularly therethrough and comprising a portion ofthe flow way through said body on being assembled therewith, and furtherincluding a valve seat substantially surrounding said opening, andfurther having a predetermined thickness between a pair of faces; meansfor clamping said support member between said end faces in controlledsealing engagement; a valve disc hingedly supported by said supportmember for swinging movement into and out of closing relation to saidvalve seat, said disc having a closing relation to said support memberbeing fully within the faces of said support member; a passage means insaid support member perpendicular to said central opening; a hinge pinin said passage means; connective means extending from said valve discto said hinge pen to support said valve disc on swinging movement aboutsaid hinge pin; and, an elongate operator arm adapted to be connected tosaid hinge pin at one end thereof and having a length sufficient toextend to a point beyond said support member sufficient to permitexternal manipulation thereof for the opening and closing of valve disc.2. The valve of claim 1 including a recessed groove means in saidsupport member extending along a non-radial line thereof, and a shaftconnected to said disc and adapted to be received within said groovemeans for hingedly swinging said valve disc.
 3. The structure of claim 1wherein said operator arm is received in a second passage means in saidsupport member.
 4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said second passagemeans is parallel to and terminates at one end of said first passagemeans and including a seal means therein preventing fluid communicationalong said second passage means.
 5. The structure of claim 4 furtherincluding a threaded releasably engagable means for removing at leastthe portion of said arm extending beyond said support member.